Berceuse
by Celipi
Summary: A series of one-shots following the slowly changing relationship between Beast Boy and Raven. This takes place prior to my earlier story, A Masquerader's Ball.
1. Listen

**A/N:** Hello! So, fair warning, this was originally going to be one long one-shot, but my ideas always get bigger than their intentions. Therefore, there will be a couple more in this sequence. I started writing it as a sort of prequel to the events of A Masquerader's Ball since I'm still working on the long story that will follow it.

For anyone who's interested, the title for this, Berceuse, is from the French for a lullaby and was inspired by a song. You'll see why later on.

As always, I do not own the Teen Titans. If I did, I don't suppose I would be poor and writing fan fiction.

* * *

Raven had been listening to Beast Boy's incessant stomping and banging from down the hall for the past hour now. Her headache had reached such an unbearable crescendo that she no longer cared about the team's unspoken consensus to be especially understanding of his feelings. Almost a week ago, he had partially explained the mess with the Terra-who-wasn't-really-Terra after a stern lecture from Robin about responsibilities. The lost look on his green face had easily gained him sympathy then, but Raven's patience was quickly wearing thin.

She could barely hear the sound of her book crashing to the floor as another chorus of noise forced her off the bed and through her bedroom door. The stomping of her own feet was out of sync in their hurried pace down the corridor and the force of her knocks on Beast Boy's door sounded like the changeling's doom finally come to call.

"Beast Boy!"

The noise stopped and the door slid open just enough to reveal a green face.

"Oh, hey, Rae," Beast Boy greeted her.

"What are you doing?"

"Uh, nothing."

"Then where is all that noise coming from?"

"Oh, sorry." He reached up to nervously scratch the back of his neck. "I'll keep it down."

Her eyes narrowed. "Beast Boy, this has been going on for three days."

"Sorry."

Raven could feel the brunt of her anger dissipating. She sighed. "Stop apologizing and tell me what's going on."

"Wha? Nothing."

"You've been miserable ever since…" She thought for a moment, watching his face carefully for a reaction. "Since you saw Terra."

"Oh." He looked down at the ground. "I didn't mean to. Is it bugging you?"

She didn't need empathy to sense the dejected nervousness in his posture. "That's not why I brought it up."

He looked back up at her, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Then, why?"

"Because I want to know the whole story."

"I already told you guys—"

"I mean the reason you're still thinking about it. I thought you'd gotten over her already."

He opened his mouth and then closed it again.

"Fine, at least tell me what you're doing in there. It sounds like a construction site and you're giving me a headache."

"Cleaning."

Raven could feel her eyebrow shoot up almost to her hairline. "Cleaning?"

"Yeah," he verified, pushing the door open the rest of the way.

The space inside looked as if it'd been hit by a series of explosions, suffered two earthquakes, been set ablaze in a purging inferno, and risen again, with some difficulty, from the ashes. Clothes were strewn about like a burst container of glitter. Comics, video games, and action figures were piled up in various spots on the floor. Half the posters were crumpled up next the them while the survivors hung half-heartedly to the walls. The laundry basket had been overturned and temporarily transformed into a prison for a particularly deadly looking pile of food waste. Even the bunk beds were askew. Raven didn't dare ask how or why.

"It's a work in progress," Beast Boy assured her.

"Clearly."

"Trust me, it's getting there."

"Why are you even doing this?" Raven asked, turning to face him.

"'Cause I tripped a couple days ago and I think I sprained my ankle a bit. Then, I stubbed the other toe and—"

Raven groaned, thoroughly interrupting Beast Boy's drama filled tale of woe. "That doesn't explain why you're tearing the place apart. What on earth did those posters ever do to you?"

"I don't like them anymore."

"You don't like Ninja Warriors?" she gestured towards one of the half torn posters on the wall.

"Super Stealth Ninja Raiders," he corrected with a huff.

"Whatever."

"I don't. Not anymore." He moved away to finish tearing the offending poster down.

"Why not?" she asked. She could feel the mixture of sadness and anger rolling off of him as he stared down at the once proud picture.

"Because things change, Rae."

Finally, she'd hit something. She could tell by the way his sudden hurt stabbed her senses at the phrase. She looked around the room carefully before turning back to him. "Let's go."

He looked up at her with that confused, scrunched up face again. "Go?"

"Yes. I can barely think in this mess and there's no clean space to actually sit."

He didn't respond and she took the silence as her cue to exit. Thankfully, he followed her out the door and up the stairs to the roof where the sun was just beginning to set. She led them to the ledge facing the city skyline and sat down. Wordlessly, he sat next to her. Neither of them spoke for a time as the colors in the sky shifted to blues and purples and the moon's silhouette rose up behind them. Raven almost didn't expect it when Beast Boy interrupted the lull of the waves hitting the shoreline below.

"I can't stop thinking about her."

Raven turned to look at him, unsure how to respond and waiting for him to continue.

"I dunno how she can just forget everything. She didn't even remember me and I'm green!"

"Is that what she said? That she didn't remember?"

He nodded. "I thought maybe, if I just jogged her memory, it would come back…but it didn't. No matter what I did or said. She didn't even like the anchovies!"

"The anchovies?"

"On her pizza…They were her favorite. She said she was allergic."

"Are you sure it was really her? I mean—"

"It was Terra," he stated loudly. He looked up with a fierce confidence in his eyes. "I told you she wasn't in the cave anymore. Remember?"

"Alright."

He looked down at the water again. "I just don't get how she can wanna forget all that. Like, wouldn't you wanna remember if someone told you there was this whole other part of your life missing?"

Raven shrugged, "Maybe not."

He looked up at her again incredulously. "Really?"

"Who knows? If I liked my life, I might not want to go back to something else entirely. Sometimes, remembering can hold you back."

"But it wasn't all bad."

"No, but it doesn't have to be. The good things can hurt just as much if we don't let them go."

"That doesn't make sense."

She looked at him. "Yes, it does. Even you can't be that stupid."

His eyes narrowed for a moment before he shook his head and looked away once more.

"Terra's got something a lot of people would die for," Raven continued. "She gets a clean slate. I know it's not easy, but I think you'll eventually find yourself feeling happy for her."

"I am," Beast Boy insisted, "but I still miss her. Even when she got turned to stone, I could still talk to her. I thought, when she came back, that I'd really get her back and she could still be there, but now…I've really lost her. I can't even tell her anything anymore."

"You can tell me," Raven said softly, surprising herself with the sentiment. She was relieved to feel the positive spark of gratitude from Beast Boy.

"Thanks, Rae."

"It's still Raven."

"Don't I get temporary immunity?"

"Do you even know what that means?"

"Duh," he tsked. "Zombie Hunters 4 co-op bonus level. It means you're safe."

Raven rolled her eyes. "At least something's keeping your neurons from dying off."

He laughed. It was the most genuine sound she'd heard from him yet.

"Beast Boy?"

He hummed to tell her he was listening.

"Can you clean the rest of your room silently?"

"Sorry, Rae. No promises." He grinned. "But I'll give it a shot."

She didn't bother to correct him again. It was strange, in a way. Raven knew better than to expect anyone to be happy all the time, not even Starfire. Still, somewhere along the way, she'd decided that the world wasn't quite right unless Beast Boy was smiling. She couldn't help but offer a small grin of her own, knowing she'd brought one back to his stupidly pleased green face.


	2. Learn

**A/N:** I intended to get this one posted earlier, but life happened. Also, it refused to end for a while.

Anyway, enjoy. As always, I do not own the Teen Titans. I also don't own the cute little song I found for this.

* * *

The sky flashed brilliantly, illuminating the dark common room for a brief moment while another clap of thunder rumbled amidst the steady sound of rainfall. Raven rhythmically recited her mantra to the soothingly chaotic sounds, tucked up into a floating lotus position by the large window. The occasional thunder kept her awareness from delving too deeply inwards, but the steady downpour still lulled her into a peaceful state. She had been grateful when the power had finally gone out a few minutes ago, causing a rush of activity behind her from an annoyed Cyborg and an overly excited Starfire.

"I do not believe Robin can work alone in such conditions," the princess had exclaimed before running out. Cyborg had only grumbled before heading down to the basement, leaving Raven perfectly alone in her meditation. She sighed in contentment before beginning her chant anew.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos. Azarath. Metrion—"

The sound of the doors opening invaded her space, soon followed by an even more disruptive sound.

"Cy, your stupid generator doesn't work and now I gotta go through the water temple all over again!"

"He's not here," Raven gruffly told the changeling.

"Oh."

She heard footsteps and the sound of the creaking couch leather. The thunder boomed again, demanding some measure of silence in its wake. However, Raven knew better than to expect it in Beast Boy's presence. Her peace would be gone too soon.

"So, it's kinda dark in here," Beast Boy commented, quickly fulfilling Raven's expectations.

"Yes. That's what happens when the power goes out," Raven replied flatly.

"Where is everyone?"

"Starfire went to find Robin and Cyborg went downstairs."

"To fix the power?"

"Probably."

"Cool, I'll just wait. Sorry for interrupting. You can go back to meditating."

She opened her eyes and turned back to glance at him, exposing her obvious skepticism. He had stretched himself out on the couch, head nestled into the spot where the furniture began to curve and he was…looking at her.

"What?" he asked.

"You're not going to bug me?"

"No."

"Or try to talk to me?"

"Nope."

"No jokes?"

"Not right now."

She stared back at him for a moment, but she couldn't detect anything especially wrong with him. His emotions were the usual mingled jumble with a bit of extra nervousness and irritation thrown in, probably from the storm and his lost game. So, thanking her luck for the second time that day, she faced the window to resume her meditation. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. She listened intently to the continued pounding of the rain against the glass.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."

Another rumble of thunder echoed in the distance and Raven briefly picked out a soft voice, humming quietly behind her. She ignored it.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos. Azarath. Metrion—"

Lightening flashed sharply and then the thunder roared in earnest. They were in the thick of the storm now. Raven doubted the power would be back anytime soon. She took a deep breath in an attempt to refocus herself, but the melody behind her had gotten louder and proved to be rather distracting. In fact, it sounded like…

"Beast Boy, are you...singing?"

The sound stopped. "Uh…no?"

"So, Cyborg's second security backup failed and we currently have a singing intruder in the room?"

Beast Boy groaned, "Okay. Okay. Sorry. Habit."

"You often sing during thunderstorms?

"Not anymore."

"Except for just now, while I'm meditating."

"It's noisy."

"And the perfect solution is to add more noise."

"Sorry, I'll stop."

She heard movement on the couch as another roll of thunder sounded, causing the Tower to tremble. She supposed it was a rather vicious storm. "It's fine," she assured him. "I'm used to your voice at this point."

"You mean you like it."

She could hear the cockiness in his suggestion. "Don't flatter yourself," she warned.

He only laughed. She knew he enjoyed riling her up. So, she made no further reply and focused her thoughts inwards. Beast Boy resumed his song, albeit more quietly this time around. She mentally organized the tune into her surroundings, tuning out the words, which he mumbled anyway, and soon found the lilting melody as soothing as the sound of the rain. She never would've guessed Beast Boy could do anything peaceful.

"What are you singing?" she whispered suddenly, surprised by her own curiosity.

His singing stopped and she felt a sense of loss break through the calm that had settled into the room. The thunder growled, but the Tower did not shake. The storm's retreat had already begun.

"A song my mom used to sing to me…" he finally answered. "I used to be kinda scared of storms. So, I sang it and it made me feel a little better."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

The couch leather rustled and croaked before Raven heard a set of light footsteps. She turned as they grew closer to see Beast Boy settling down into a seated position beside her, right shoulder and head pressed up against the window and legs stretched out in a straight line. He glanced up once he noticed he'd caught her attention.

"Hey, Rae."

"It's Raven."

He grinned and turned to look out the window. "Did you ever get scared of thunderstorms?" he asked, a hint of lightness in his voice.

"No."

"Even when you were little?"

"We didn't have storms like this on Azarath."

"Really?"

She nodded. "It rained a lot, but there was never any thunder."

"So, weren't you scared when you came here?"

"No. I was well-read enough in the weather patterns of this dimension to know better."

"Huh," he sighed, as if thinking on the information. "I guess that's cool, even if it's kinda weird."

"Says the boy who sings to himself in the dark."

"Touché."

A flash of lightning lit up the night sky and Raven saw Beast Boy tense in anticipation of the thunder that didn't immediately follow it. When it finally came a few seconds later, he breathed out and allowed his torso to slide down the glass, leaving his body almost entirely stretched out on the floor beneath Raven's floating form.

"What're you just going to fall asleep now?" she questioned.

"Maybe," he teased, looking up at her. "Sing me a song. It'll help."

"No."

"Awww, please, Rae? I sang a lullaby for you. It's your turn."

"I don't know any."

His eyes widened in surprise. "Liar," he accused. "Your mom didn't sing you any lullabies?"

"No."

His face softened as he continued to study her. "Oh," he finally breathed out.

The soft wave of affection that assaulted her senses caused her eyebrows to furrow. It didn't seem like pity, but ever since their occasional talks had begun, Raven had noticed that Beast Boy's constant pest-like behavior was always lined with an emotion that had grown stronger, more like concern. Often, she answered him a bit less curtly now to ease the feeling. His misplaced anxiety over her could make her nauseous if she let it go on for too long.

"I think she tried to. Once," she admitted. She spotted a hint of lightness return to his features and the worried feeling faded. She stretched out of her floating position and he sat up again to accommodate her while she took a seat closer to the opposite end of the windowpane.

"Don't ask me to sing," she demanded. "It's just a tune. I don't know any words."

"You can hum."

"No," she shot him a warning glare before turning to look out the window again. The rain continued to fall, but the worst of the storm was only a soft groan in the distance. "Besides," she continued, "I'm not even sure if it's real. I was raised away from my mother."

"Why?"

"Because it was best."

She could feel his stare as if he wanted to say something else, but she refused to look at him and tried to ignore his curiosity. After all, she'd only started tuning into his emotions to keep an eye on him. It was pointless to keep her barriers so open. She certainly wasn't about to start telling him everything the way he always wanted.

"You can share mine, if you want," he spoke suddenly, interrupting her thoughts.

"What?"

"I can teach you my song, in case you ever need it."

"Why would I need to learn a lullaby?" She glanced over to find him smiling brightly at her.

"So you can sing it to me," he said, "Duh."

She rolled her eyes, but said nothing to discourage him. Instead, she looked away to watch the raindrops dripping slowly down the other side of the glass. She picked one and tried to follow its path as it collided with a few other droplets and broke apart again near the bottom. She had already located another when he began to sing in earnest.

"Lala mtoto lala lala."

His voice was terrible, a bit squeaky at the higher notes and raspy overall. Despite the poor quality, though, Raven soon found that her head had fallen to the side so that it rested against the window. She didn't bother following anymore raindrops, choosing instead to listen to the sound of the rainfall and the song.

"Jua nalo limezama, lala sinzia lala."

She'd assumed he was mumbling earlier, but she never would've suspected Beast Boy could speak another language, never mind sing in one. She was tempted to ask him what it meant, but she didn't want to interrupt. She wasn't sure if he'd start again afterwards. So instead, she sighed softly, closed her eyes, and waited for the sounds to stop.

* * *

Raven opened her eyes to find the common room intolerably bright against the lingering darkness outside. The rain was nothing more than a murmur now and the green changeling was splayed out in front of her, snoring obnoxiously. It was no wonder she'd woken up next to such a racket. She hardly remembered falling asleep.

She looked around to find the room surprisingly, yet thankfully, empty. She lifted her head off the glass and tried to stretch out the slight soreness in her neck from lying in such a position for an extended period. Silently, she lifted herself off the ground and smoothed out the wrinkles in her cloak before heading off in the direction of the doors.

She paused for a moment beside the couch and looked around once more, finally spotting the fuzzy, baby blue blanket that no one on the team wished to publicly claim draped haphazardly over the end of the couch. Surrounding it in black energy, she sent the blanket back towards the window and let it fall gently onto Beast Boy's still sleeping form. Satisfied, she flicked the light switch by the door with a thought and left the room.

Yet even as she settled down in her own bedroom and her own bed, she heard Beast Boy's song in the back of her mind. She tried to think for a moment on the only one she knew, the soft hum she'd told him about. She thought she'd remembered it from long ago, but she could barely recall the tone of her mother's voice as she tried to think of it now. She wondered if Beast Boy still remembered the sound of his mother's voice and if he could hear it each time he sang that song or if he only sang it because he'd forgotten how she was supposed to sound. It was strange sometimes, how Raven had begun to realize she had more in common with the changeling that she'd thought. Though, at the same time, there was so much more that was different. Perhaps he'd realized it too. She supposed that was why he'd given her a lullaby before she'd even known she needed one. He saw the things he missed and generously decided to give them to her. Although, maybe he didn't realize it, not completely anyway.

Sighing, she gave up trying to remember her lost song. Instead, she pulled the covers tightly around her body and gratefully remembered his. Soon enough, she found sleep, waiting for her like a soft embrace.


	3. Laugh

**A/N:** _I apologize sincerely to anyone who's been waiting on me. I'm still alive, though lots of things have been kicking my butt. This one gave me a bit of trouble at first and has changed entirely from when I first started it. Nevertheless, I'm happy with the result._

 _As always, I own nothing._

* * *

Something was missing.

Raven could sense it. Faint as the feeling was, it was important and it was absent. She could almost discern its name in the midst of the quiet sanctuary she'd so often loved until the familiar silence began to press down on her as if she'd been buried alive. It hung in the air around her, but its elusive nature forced her to dismiss the feeling altogether. She supposed it must be part of some strange adjustment period after an even stranger vacation of sorts.

After the return from Tokyo, she'd fallen quickly back into her old routine of tea, meditation, and hours spent in books, but life had certainly failed to resume that superhero version of normal she'd become accustomed to. Between Robin and Starfire's newly budding relationship, which only heightened the various teenage tensions in the Tower, and the influx of new fan mail, Raven had certainly expected a few differences; but, there was an undercurrent of something else entirely that made her feel as if she was waking up in Wonderland each day, slightly lopsided and possibly larger or smaller than when she'd fallen asleep.

The sensation persisted and grew with each new day. One morning while she prepared her morning tea, she noticed a pain in her shoulder. She rolled it, stretched it out, but it remained. Meditation the day after alerted her to a persistent ache in her back. This time, she ignored it. By the next morning, the ache had grown into a vicious need to have a rolling pin dragged down her spine, although the pain flared up each time she turned her body too far to the left. She eventually surrendered to it and asked, not begged, Starfire to use just a touch of alien strength to crack her back. Starfire had gladly obliged and even suggested that perhaps there was a pea lodged in Raven's mattress, much like the princess with a similar predicament. Raven had refrained from rolling her eyes at the thought, too busy basking in the temporary relief. Though, once the pain flared up again two days later, she became desperate enough to actually lift up the mattress, just to be sure. She quickly realized how foolish she was behaving when she discovered nothing wrong with it at all.

By the second week, she would wake every morning with a crick in her neck that no amount of stretching could relieve. Mid-afternoon before the third week, she'd curled up with a new book only to discover that the sensation had traveled to her legs. She spent the remainder of the day contorting her form into various pretzel-like poses, but the feeling always came back. As the days passed, she begrudgingly accepted the newest symptom and waited for it to pass.

In a way, it did, but only due to the newfound soreness in her muscles from the sudden uptick in crime. Keeping the city safe soon took precedence over some of her more leisurely activities, which stretched her meditation sessions out until her days consisted of nothing but morning tea, meditation, stretching, crime fighting, pizza, more meditation, more crime fighting, even more stretching and meditation, and whatever amount of sleep she could manage. Whenever the ache in her muscles began to subside, she felt the absence again, sprinkled on top like April showers.

Clearly, the newest routine was no better. Not far into it she began to forget the most miniscule things. She realized partway through her days that her thoughts would wander. She tried meditating more often to correct the extreme lack of focus, but it only served to exacerbate the problem. So, it happened that she moved her morning meditations from in front of the large windows in the common room to the roof. The rest of the team didn't seem to give the behavior much thought. On the first morning that she came down from her new meditation spot, Robin only regarded her with a raised eyebrow before the usual morning acknowledgement. The alarm interrupted any further discussion on the matter and, by the next morning, it was possible that Raven had been meditating on the roof since the beginning. No one had ever truly questioned her habits after all. The days dragged on and the ache began to seep into her bones.

In the middle of the fourth week, Raven was tense. No amount of meditation helped and, even though most of the smaller criminals had been locked up and crimefighting slowed to a more bearable level, the continued uneasiness kept her both awake and exhausted. Mid-morning on Thursday, she absentmindedly dropped her tea bag on the counter beside her mug and drank nothing but hot water until Cyborg questioned the forgotten peppermint tea with an underlying tone of concern. Though, he never pried. She missed dinner, dodged an interrogation from Robin the following day, and rejected Starfire's request for "the girl talk." She convinced herself to rest while preparing herself for the next interruption. As expected, it came when she tried to settle down in the common room with a novel.

"Uh, Rae?"

Raven made a noncommittal hum and looked up to a pair of widely inquisitive emerald eyes, close enough to make her jump slightly at the unexpected lack of personal space.

"You okay?" Beast Boy asked, worry beginning to crease his brow.

Her eyes narrowed until he backed up. He'd learned to take her hints fairly well at times, though she was certain he played dumb just to ignore them without the severest of repercussions.

"Fine," she responded, looking down once more to return to her book…only to find that it had disappeared. She looked up again in search of it.

"Rae, it's still in the kitchen…your book, I mean."

Indeed, as she turned to look at the empty kitchen counter, Raven spotted the worn brown cover sitting innocently beside a cold kettle. She didn't recall making any tea, though perhaps she had intended to. For now, she ignored the kettle and summoned up a bit of black energy to bring the book over to the couch.

"You wanna talk about it?" Beast Boy offered.

"About what?"

"Whatever's buggin' you."

"I told you. I'm fine."

"Y'know, we haven't really hung out in a while. I've been too busy with my fan mail," he grinned.

Raven raised an eyebrow.

The grin faltered and morphed into a seemingly indifferent shrug. "I'm kinda bored with it now anyway, gets exhausting."

"You mean Starfire stopped translating for you?"

"Hey, I tried to do it myself."

"And we all know how that turned out."

"Honest mistake." He plopped himself down on the couch next to Raven. "So, what's up with you?"

"I told you—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he waved a hand in dismissal. "Wanna play a game, then?"

"No."

He leaned in. "Wanna hear a joke?"

"No."

"Knock knock."

"Go away."

"Aw, c'mon, Rae."

She shot him his first warning glare.

It bounced off him like a ray of sunlight. "Knock knock."

She groaned quietly before mumbling, "Who's there?"

Beast Boy's grin grew impossibly wide, "Juneau."

She could already sense how bad the punch line would be, but if she quit now, he would pester her for the rest of the day. "Juneau who?"

"Juneau who I am."

Crickets could be heard in the distance as if they'd amplified their sound to fill the void left by such a terrible joke.

"Okay okay, how 'bout this one? What do you call a bee on a bad hair day?"

"I don't know," Raven droned.

"A frisbee!"

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

"Nope, you're top priority, Rae. One more."

There was no time to protest.

"Why did Robin lay an egg?"

"Because you started telling a bad joke?"

His grin grew even larger, if possible, like he was about to bestow upon her the greatest line in the history of all lines. "Because he was too chicken and had to hatch a new plan to talk to his angry alien girlfriend!"

As if that line was the last straw, Beast Boy's mouth opened wide and he let out a genuine laugh. It was like bells on Christmas Day in both volume and merriment. Just as she remembered, it was obnoxious at the unflattering snort and it carried on until tears sprang to his eyes.

It was a bad joke. Raven knew it and Beast Boy probably knew it too, but like a can of soda that had been fiercely shaken up and then popped open without warning, she couldn't hold back the feeling that built up inside of her. It was out of her control. She buried her face in her book to try and hide the emotion before it showed. Then, she grinned. She grinned as if there was nothing better in the world than to sit on the couch listening to Beast Boy laugh at his one of his own lame jokes. As the tension left her shoulders and she leaned back into the cushions, she at least decided it wasn't quite the worst thing.

Beast Boy's laugher began to fade, but she could still feel his joyous emotions melt the ache in her bones until even the echo of his laugher cushioned her in its warmth. She wrapped herself in his happiness like a soft blanket and, even once she sensed his gaze on her once more, the smile stuck to her face.

"Beast Boy," she ventured.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and just watch tv."

He chuckled this time, short and sweet. "You got it, Rae."


	4. Love (In Two Acts) I

**A/N:** _Sorry this took so long. I ended up splitting it up into two parts. The first is rather short, though. Enjoy!_

 _As always, I own absolutely nothing._

* * *

Act I

It was a simple mug of hot water, black from tea and fragrant with a pinch of vanilla and honey, but it had rendered Raven's mind blank in the middle of the kitchen. As the team sat around for an impromptu lunch, the familiar scent unexpectedly stunned her like bright flash of sunlight suddenly poking through cloudy skies. Meanwhile, the tea stood, innocently steaming, at her usual spot opposite Starfire. Someone had made it, just for her, and she was at a loss to understand why.

"Friend Raven, will you not join us for this delicious midday feast?"

"Yeah, Rave, I made chicken wings."

"Or you can have some tofu kabobs. They'll go great with your tea," Beast Boy chimed in, eyebrows wiggling as if they were doing the convincing.

"Raven?" Robin interjected, "Are you okay?"

A wave of nervousness, excitement, and concern rolled through her. It was always these sorts of unique experiences that left Raven somewhat confused as to which emotions were coming at her from the outside and which were threatening to burst out from within. She returned her focus to the tea, centered her thoughts, and sat down without a word.

If she could will the mystery to unfold before her, then she could respond appropriately. As it was, her uncertainty over the meaning behind the tea was what had spurred her awkward behavior, not that she was otherwise entirely spared from awkward moments. It wasn't even the first time someone had made her tea, but the vanilla had caught her off guard. No one had made it that way before, though she'd brewed it with the subtle spice for years now. Tentatively, she took a sip and found it almost as good as a cup she'd brewed herself, right down to the bit of sweetness that lingered on her tongue.

Cyborg had brought her tea once after a particularly gruesome battle with Cinderblock that had left Raven knocked out cold. She'd woken up a few hours later to a brotherly smile, a quick scan, and a hot cup of tea with a touch of honey. It tasted straightforward and well-intentioned. Even Starfire had often brought her tea, made a touch too sweet for her liking. She could never finish a cup. Though, the offering was usually followed by a request for girl talk or a desire to join in Raven's meditation, so Starfire had never noticed. Raven understood these gestures from her friends. A gift of tea meant concern or a friendly, heartfelt form of bribery.

However, this carefully brewed cup was entirely new. Not only had it been made with painstaking attention to her habits, but it lacked any sort of context. Based on flavor alone, she ruled out both Starfire and Cyborg. Cyborg would've been too engrossed in cooking anyways and Starfire quite simply did not understand vanilla. Despite her poor grasp on the surrounding elements of the gift, she immediately ruled out Robin as well. His queries were vocal, not laid out in subtle gestures. That only left Beast Boy, which led to more questions than answers. He had no reason to make her tea at all. He simply had.

She looked up to find Beast Boy's eyes looking back at her from his spot next to Starfire. Was he the nervous one? His emotions pattered around her like spiders.

"I got your tea…hope it's okay."

She nodded faintly, hands still drawing warmth from their tight grasp around the mug. He grinned in response, though not like one of his usual grins. This one was a bit smaller, softer. It reminded her that he'd remembered the vanilla.

Something bubbled up inside her again and she realized some of the nervous feeling was leaving. The room breathed easy again, but she could identify her own surge of emotion by the sound of Cyborg's plate being pulled to the floor. The crashing sound and the cries of her teammates caused her to reign the feeling back in, but it was too late. It had glued itself to a spot in her chest and she felt it even after the last drops of tea had gone cold.


	5. Love (In Two Acts) II

**A/N:** _Still don't own anything._

* * *

Act II

 **Rae,**

 **Come outside**

 **BB**

Raven tore the small slip of paper off her door and quickly examined the other side before reading the note once more. Why would he bother leaving a note instead of just looking for her as usual? He always seemed to know where she was anyway.

If she thought about it, an annoyingly cryptic note from Beast Boy could really only mean one of two things: a ploy to get her away from the site of a future prank or an attempt to lead her straight into one. She knew better than to fall for it. She let out half a groan as her arm fell beside her, note still held firmly in her hand.

It'd been a long time since Beast Boy had tried to pull something on her. So really, she was overdue. Though, she could always settle for maiming him if things went sour. Cyborg could make him another limb. He'd probably be thrilled.

Then again, he'd surprised her more than once lately. Most recently, he hadn't even pushed back after one of her more scathing remarks at his failed humor. She'd almost felt the need to apologize until his ridiculous grin told her he was waiting for it. Something about his humor had changed. It wasn't that it was any better, but it peaked her curiosity. So, she soon found herself heading towards the vague location provided via the elevator to the roof. If he wasn't there, she'd at least be able to check the surrounding area to find out exactly what she was getting herself into.

The elevator doors opened to the green boy standing alone against the backdrop of an orange sky. He faced the city skyline, still as a hopeful monk watching for a sign from the heavens. The sound of the elevator doors did not startle him. He didn't even turn until she'd almost reached him at the edge of the roof.

"Rae!" he grinned at her arrival. "You got my note?"

"No, I came up here looking for some other green fool."

"Oh, you just missed him, then."

She folded her arms across her chest and ignored his satisfied smirk. "What do you want?"

"Wanna go to this new café downtown? It's vegan, but I swear you won't hate it."

"Why didn't you just ask me that in the note?"

"'Cause I figured I could convince you with this pretty sunset." He made a sweeping gesture towards the sky.

Raven raised an eyebrow.

"Plus this." He changed suddenly and Raven looked down to meet a pair of wide, green eyes looking up at her from the face of a tiny, striped kitten. The sound of a soft mew floated up to her ears and she swore his eyes got bigger the longer he stared.

"You really want me to go with you?"

He was human again in an instant. "Yeah. I promise it won't be that bad."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you need me to go?"

"Uh," a hand rose to scratch the back of his head. "It'll be fun?"

"I'm sure Starfire would be more than happy to try new earth food."

"Dude, she also drinks mustard out of a straw."

She studied his face, though she didn't really know why. She could feel the desperate sincerity emanating from him. Her arms fell down to her sides. She knew she'd lost this one already and let out a defeated sort of sigh.

"C'mon," he pleaded. "Please?"

"Fine. Where is it?"

His eyes widened just enough for the sunlight to catch the flecks of gold within, causing them to light up rather literally at her response. "Kind of across from the diner. Wanna race?"

"No."

He took off as a peregrine falcon before she could top the refusal with a signature scowl. So, she was forced to roll her eyes and follow him out into the city.

* * *

They returned well after sunset through one of Raven's portals, each holding an ice cream cone and Beast Boy's face holding a semi-permanent grin.

"I think your magicky stuff made my ice cream colder."

"You aren't funny."

"The guy at the window thought so."

"You were handing him a tip."

He ignored her and plopped himself down at the edge of the rooftop, feet dangling down carelessly. She contemplated his demeanor for a moment, quietly allowing his mellow joy to seep into her. Honestly, it made the mocha chip taste just a bit sweeter, though she'd never admit it out loud.

Most of the time, Beast Boy's emotions spilled over like a full teacup set down in the middle of an earthquake and she had to find ways to block them out altogether. In these instances, however, she reveled in his explicit expression of a moment. It was always so vibrant, not quite as overwhelming as Starfire's voluptuous spirit, but just as awe-inspiring. She sat down cross-legged beside him, unwilling to leave the feeling behind just yet.

"We should open an ice cream place up here," he proffered. "The view's great. Plus we'd get all the ice cream we wanted."

"I'll let you ask Robin about it."

He grinned. "I'll just tell him afterwards. Cy will back me up."

"And your replacement will learn all about the terrible mistake that led to your early demise."

His ensuing laughter almost caused the ice cream cone to fall into his lap.

"Thanks, Rae. You're a real optimist."

"If you try it, I'm not involved."

"Too late."

She didn't bother with a response, choosing instead to watch the lights from the cars fly through the city and enjoy the sound of the waves crashing against the side of the rocks. For once in his life, Beast Boy was quiet. If not for his calm demeanor, Raven was quite sure her thoughts would break out into chaos trying to understand why. She was already beginning to wander down such a path when he spoke up rather suddenly.

"We should do this again."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He was still facing the view ahead of them.

"I mean, I haven't had this much fun since…" he stopped suddenly and his eyes drifted down to stare at the rocks below them.

Raven could feel the stab of regret and lingering heartache roll across him. He didn't have to finish the sentence for her to realize his mind was once again on the blonde who forever remained out of his reach.

"I should go," she suggested, shifting to stand.

"No, stay." His hand moved to grasp hers. The last bit of ice cream slid off his waffle cone and fell off the side of the building.

His hand was larger than she expected and surprisingly warm. She'd forgotten that he'd changed, that they'd both changed. He was strong enough to keep her from pulling away now. Or had she just forgotten to pull back? She wasn't really sure when she'd turned her hand to hold onto his, but once she realized her predicament, she felt it again, the bubbling emotion that pushed against her chest like soda pop. Only this time, she heard it cause something to twist and snap behind her. She tried quickly to crush the sensation before it grew and dropped Beast Boy's hand like it had burned her. Her half-eaten cone followed Beast Boy's sprinkled concoction to the ground.

"I can't," she breathed out before standing up to leave.

"But—" he protested.

A wave of black energy engulfed her, dragging her back to the safety of her room, where she should have stayed in the first place. She didn't hear the end of his sentence.

Worse, he didn't come knocking at her door to finish it.


	6. Lie

**A/N:** _Finally! Sorry for the angst in this one, but I'm please with how it turned out. Anyway, I plan on writing one more of these before I start up the big story to follow Masquerader's Ball (which I'm super behind on)._

 _As usual, I own nothing._

* * *

It was as if Raven had suddenly woken up from a deep sleep. She couldn't recall when any of it had happened, but she realized the emotion now and she knew it had to be stopped. From that moment on, she refused to speak to Beast Boy alone. She drank tea and read books in the confines of her room.

What if he asked? Would she tell him?

Instead of encountering the possibility, she joined the team for meals and left before they dispersed. She was relieved when Robin paired her with Starfire during missions. Something told her the Boy Wonder often knew more than he let on, but no one acted otherwise. She trained. She slept. She allowed the days to fade into a long line of avoidances and distractions until she found herself rising in the middle of the night to meditate, never in the common room, and napping through the afternoon. Soon, she'd forgotten how long ago he'd even touched her hand.

She found herself trying to count the days as she wandered to the kitchen to brew herself some tea. The sun was just beginning to break up the night sky, the soft yellow and orange glow broken in half by the long bridge not too far off. Everything else remained dark. She'd slept, but a bit more fitfully than expected. She swapped the earl grey for chamomile and left before anyone could find her.

The curtains in her room were drawn so tightly, she could no longer see the sun's progress in the sky. She knew she'd just about had enough. In all honesty, she was being ridiculous. She'd assumed she could shake off the lump that formed in her chest every time she thought about him, but it stubbornly refused to leave. There was only one option left.

She took a sip of her tea and set it down on the bedside table before making her way to the dresser. The mirror lay on top in its usual place, though she now had a habit of keeping it face down. She didn't bother using it much anymore. She could concentrate on her emotions as much as she cared to during normal meditation. However, this sort of endeavor would require a more personal touch. Not to mention, she felt a growing need to get away, even if it was just inside her head.

Tentatively, she slid her fingers along its handle before lifting the mirror up and staring into its depths. Sometimes, she could see herself plainly as if it were just any old mirror. Today, she spotted the void beyond, littered with rocks and darkness. She spoke her mantra and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was surrounded by the familiar sight.

She took a soothing breath before abandoning the floating rocks below to float off towards an unknown destination. She didn't know who she wanted to find first, although she could easily say who she came here for. After all, she wasn't entirely prepared for this sort of beast. Trigon's daughter never would be.

She shook her head, as if the gesture might banish that line of thinking. It didn't help to dwell on that here. Hesitantly, she focused on the task ahead and set out in search of a very particular emotion. She floated up and drifted off, ignoring the high-pitched squeals of glee from Happy rolling in the grass and passing over Knowledge with only an inkling of curiosity. She dodged Brave's stare and blocked out Rude's curses. Anger was absent, but she didn't care to find out why. She moved as far away from the others as she could before finally settling down in a solitary grove of trees. The world was quiet here. She turned about for only a moment until she spotted another emotion not too far off.

Affection sat facing a brilliant orange sunset, her legs dangling off the edge of a grassy outcropping. Raven approached slowly. She hadn't seen the violet-cloaked version of herself since Malchior, when the poor emotion had been too inconsolable to even speak to her. Raven made no sound as she took a seat beside Affection, underneath the shadow of a large tree.

The two watched in silence for some time, but the sun never set. It remained perfectly centered, reminding Raven of the last sunset she'd looked at not too long ago. She couldn't hate it, but she had to turn away.

Instead, she focused her attention on her silent emoticlone. Affection had barely acknowledged Raven's arrival. She sat staring at the sky, eyes large and mostly unblinking, as if she could take every wondrous thing for herself if she only watched long enough.

"So," Raven ventured, feeling a bit intrusive, "it's true then?"

Affection turned her head slowly to look back at Raven, a smile gracing her features, and nodded.

Raven wasn't sure how to respond. For some reason, she expected more of a fight. She thought she'd deny it, even in front of her emotions, but she knew the refusal would only come from a place of desperation.

"You should know that nothing can happen," she explained suddenly.

"Raven," Affection consoled, reaching over to place her hand on top of Raven's, "you can't hide it forever."

"No." Raven pulled away. "The plan is to treat you like an unwanted stray. If I don't feed you, you won't keep coming back."

Affection's face scrunched up at the comment. "That's not very nice."

"We both know better. You have two options: stop yourself now or suffer until it's gone."

"You're only hurting yourself."

"Which is why I've decided on the first option."

"I haven't."

"What could you possibly be holding out for? Some kind of fairytale ending? This isn't a story."

"Just something better," Affection insisted. "…I like him."

"So, leave it at that."

"I can't."

"You can love our friends all you want, equally. No one gets hurt that way and everything goes back to normal before it's too late. Isn't that enough?"

"No," Affection stated flatly before turning back to face the eternal sunset.

Raven sighed heavily and held her head in her hands. If she wasn't careful, this could fail miserably. She took a calming breath to catch up with her thoughts.

"Look," she started again, raising her head once more. "It's a bad idea. We both know it doesn't and wouldn't work. The way I see it, we're saving ourselves from a terrible loss later on."

Affection didn't answer. For a moment, Raven thought the emoticlone might be ignoring her. She glared until she no longer felt like waiting, which is when Affection's small voice knocked the air from her lungs before she could speak.

"He's not like Malchior."

Raven felt her pride fall down a few notches.

"No," she began, "I know he isn't…". Despite his green skin and pointy ears, Beast Boy was the closest Raven would ever get to normalcy. He wasn't cruel or manipulative and, as annoying as it could be, he never left her along for too long. He was everything Raven wasn't, which meant he deserved someone who could love him just as strongly as he loved. She would only drag him back down to the depths of hell with her.

"But we are," she finally whispered. "We're Malchior."

"You wouldn't!" Affection dared, her eyes challenging and fiery.

"No," Raven agreed. "But my powers are too unpredictable. I could hurt him."

"Only because you aren't used to it."

"I'm not willing to pay that price."

"That's not your decision to make."

"Too bad. I've made it."

"Why can't you see the bigger picture, Raven? He accepts us. He's the only one who—"

"He's naïve, then," Raven interrupted.

Affection's eyes narrowed. "We have our faults."

"Yes and they're dangerous. They'll destroy him."

"He won't care about all of that."

"I know he won't. He's too good. That's why I have to let this go."

"No!"

"If you…" she paused. Her eyes fluttered closed. "If you care about him, you'll listen to me."

"But you lov—"

"No, I don't."

"You can't lie to me."

"Please," Raven pleaded. She looked at Affection and, for a moment, allowed herself to be honest. "If we love him, we need to protect him. I need you to be with me on this."

Tears filled Affection's eyes, but she did not argue. She studied Raven's face for a long moment before nodding. Then, she turned her head back towards the stagnant sunset and did not cry.

They sat like that for a while longer, but soon enough, the sun began to fall. When the world around them finally grew dark, Raven left her emotion behind and flew back the way she'd come. She only had to think her mantra before she found herself in her room once more. The curtains were still drawn and her tea had gone cold, but at last, she could sleep. She did not dream and she only woke to the sound of the alarm calling her to be a hero once more.


	7. Lose

**A/N:** _I half apologize for the long wait on this one._ _ _As a treat, this one is a bit longer, though it will be the last in this series._ I've been working hard on some other projects, including the rather large story that takes place sometime after the events of A Masquerader's Ball. For those who have been waiting, be sure to look out for it as I'll be posting the first chapter shortly. _

_As always, I do not own the Teen Titans, etc._

* * *

Beast Boy couldn't remember what day it was.

If he thought about it, he could remember eating cereal for breakfast, but he'd done that a couple of times this week– Cheerios, Trix and, one time, Cocoa Puffs. Though, the Cocoa Puffs got interrupted by the crime buzzer. He remembered because they'd spilled all over the counter and Raven hadn't even been there to glare at him.

Raven hadn't been there last week either. So, maybe it'd been longer than he thought. Once his new game came in, he'd started breaking up the days with long stretches of time spent in front of it. He had a hard time pulling himself away, even if he didn't seem to be getting any better.

As it was, he was already on a losing streak today. He kept messing up his combo moves. Only, every time he considered stepping away for a bit, he found a new determination to win. It must've been about the 5th bought of persistence that drove him forward now, when he was startled by a stinging blow to his head.

"Hey!"

He turned to see Cyborg, looming above him with a curious look on his face.

"Just makin' sure you're awake in there," the metal man explained.

"Dude, what happened to hello?"

"I tried that five minutes ago."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Nah, it's okay. You seen Rave around?"

"Probly in her room," Beast Boy mumbled, quickly getting back into his on-screen fight.

"Huh. She okay?"

"Ask her."

He could feel Cyborg's eyes boring into the back of his head. "What?"

"Somethin' on your mind?"

Beast Boy tried to focus on the game. He grunted in response, though mostly because his character had just been knocked to the ground.

"Is it Rae?"

He didn't answer.

"You guys break up already?"

Beast Boy turned to his friend with a stunned look. His on-screen opponent knocked him out with an uppercut and the words GAME OVER flashed in red letters.

"W-wha?"

"You and Raven. I thought you were pretty close."

"Why would—I'm not, I mean we're not—"

"Chill, B. I know you're into her, even if you're not dating yet."

"You know? How?"

"I saw you guys up on the roof when I left for patrol a couple weeks ago."

"Oh." He hung his head and turned back to face the tv. "Yeah, well, I scared her off. So, there's nothing to talk about."

"What happened?"

Beast Boy tossed the controller down onto the couch cushion beside him and leaned back in exasperation.

"I dunno really," he admitted.

Cyborg raised his eyebrow.

"I guess…" Beast Boy continued, "I thought about Terra for a moment—not like that," he clarified at his friend's suddenly widened stare. "I mean…once I realized I had actually taken Raven on a kind-of date, it hit me. I hadn't been on a real date since Terra…She must've picked up on it, y'know the emotion thing, and then she tried to go and I told her not to. I thought she was gonna stay until she broke your antenna thing and left."

"My micro-encrypt tower? You said it got zapped by lightning!"

"Uh, well…kind of."

Cyborg shot his friend an angry glare.

"Sorry, Cy. It wasn't on purpose."

Cyborg mumbled something about hormonal teammates that Beast Boy chose to ignore.

"So, now," he continued, "I don't know if I'm supposed to tell her how I feel 'cause she might think I'm not over Terra or if she freaked out 'cause I held her hand. What if she doesn't even like me like that?"

"Oh, she likes you."

"She's been avoiding me ever since. I don't wanna scare her off again and make things even worse."

"Ya probably will."

"But I don't wanna make her think I don't like her. 'Cause I'm pretty sure I do."

"Understatement of the year, B."

"So, I can't say anything, but I can't not say anything. Should I do something? Buy her flowers? Does Raven even like flowers?"

"Don't think so."

"What if it's too late and she hates me? We were finally getting along. I can't go back to...She probably wants nothing to do with me now…"

"Yeah, maybe."

"Aren't you supposed to be helping?" Beast Boy finally looked up at his friend with a scowl.

"Figured I'd wait 'til you finished moping first. "

Beast Boy hung his head once more and Cyborg moved the controller aside to sit down.

"Look, B. I can tell how crazy you are about her and, as much as Raven doesn't like to admit her feelings, I'm pretty sure she likes you, too. You don't have to bring her flowers or a present. Raven's not that kind of girl. Just go upstairs and talk to her. Tell her the truth. That's all you can do. Hopefully, it'll work out."

"And if it doesn't?"

"We'll find you a nice doghouse to live in outside until she cools down. I can even install a new gamestation."

"Not funny, Cy."

"Says the guy who still tells knock knock jokes."

"Hey! I'm hysterical."

"Yeah, just not in the way you think. Now, you gonna go talk to Raven? 'Cause you've been suckin' at this game for too long."

"Yeah. Thanks, Cy."

"No problem, B. Afterwards, I can kick your ass in some Speed Demon 4."

"You're on!"

Beast Boy jumped up with a renewed enthusiasm that only wavered once he stepped in the elevator to head towards Raven's room. He wasn't entirely sure what to tell her. Should he make a dramatic speech? Should he get his boombox and hold it up outside her door? The nerves were starting to make his ears twitch. Why had he agreed to do this again?

* * *

Raven could feel a jittered nervousness rush over her before the elevator dinged. She was too far to head back to her room without it being obvious, so she quickly ducked past the elevator and into the next hallway. Hurriedly, she tapped on Starfire's door. The alien would be too excited to refuse Raven a visit.

"Hello?" Starfire called out, the door opening with a whoosh.

Raven ducked inside and forced the door shut behind her before the girl could exhale an excited "Friend Raven!"

"Quiet, I won't be long," Raven said by way of explanation.

"Oh, that is most alright, but, if I may inquire, what is it we are being quiet for?"

"I'm just...getting out of my room for a bit."

"Then I am happy to be of service."

"Thanks."

The two stood silent for a moment, neither saying a word. Silkie snored loudly from the end of Starfire's bed. The mattress made a soft noise as Starfire sat back down on it. Eventually, a shuffling set of footsteps could be heard down the hall. The elevator dinged once more and Raven let out the small breath she'd been holding.

"Thanks, Starfire," she began. "I should get back now."

"Are you sure you would not like to stay for the girl talk? We can perhaps paint each other's fingernails or toenails or perform hair braiding techniques."

"Maybe some other time…" Raven offered, turning to leave.

"Raven?"

"Yes?"

"Please…do you have the feelings for Beast Boy?"

Raven stopped and looked back at Starfire, doing her best to hide the shock in her eyes. "Why would you think that?"

"Forgive me, but were you not just avoiding him now as you have done for the last two weeks?"

Raven often forgot that Starfire wasn't nearly as oblivious as she seemed, mostly because the alien girl did not often mention her observations to Raven. The simple fact that she was willing to bring this up only served as a reminder that the two were much closer than they had been when they were younger.

Raven let out a sigh and sulked over to sit in the chair in front of Starfire's vanity. "It's obvious?" she asked.

"It is only that it has been a very long time since you have spent so many hours alone in your room and…I have noticed the two of you had grown most fond of each other. At first, I supposed there had been a fight…"

"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up."

"So, it is true that you have affections for Beast Boy?"

Raven's head slumped down onto Star's vanity. "Yes…" she mumbled.

"Then, why do you not tell him?"

"Because I can't act upon it. My powers are unpredictable around him, especially when we get too close. What if I hurt him?"

"Beast Boy is a Titan. Surely, he is able to handle himself?"

"I can't control it and I'm not willing to find out how much it'll hurt him."

"Have you told him this?"

"No and I'm not going to."

"I disagree with your conclusion. Love is a wondrous thing that is made stronger when troubles are conquered. Robin and I have our difficulties as well, but I truly believe they are worth fighting through."

Raven lifted her head to glance at Starfire. "You two are fighting again?"

Starfire's head hung low for a moment as she fiddled with a strand of hair. "It is nothing we cannot face."

"Do you…wanna talk about it?"

"It is just that sometimes I feel Robin is hiding parts of himself from me. He has accepted my love as Robin, but he still does not relate to me as…"

"As himself?"

She nodded.

Raven watched her friend carefully. She had been so caught up in her own emotions that she hadn't noticed the way Starfire failed to float in place, which had been a common occurrence since her and Robin had started dating. To the untrained eye, she looked the same as always, but Raven could pick out the slump of her shoulders and the way she kept her arms close to her body, almost crossing them at times. She had assumed the troubled hum of anxiety had been her own. Now, she realized Starfire's emotions had been inflating her own.

Raven wasn't one for relationship counseling, but something in her friend's downcast state urged her to speak. "There was a story on Azarath," she began, "about a bee and flower."

"Like the birds and bees?" Starfire perked up, recalling the expression.

"Not exactly."

The girl frowned.

"A bee was collecting nectar in a field of flowers," Raven continued. "It was late in the season and all of the flowers were in bloom, except for one. Try as he might, the bee could not force the flower to open."

"Day after day, the bee continued to try, but the flower refused to yield. When he asked the others in the hive, the bees told him to forget the flower as there was plenty of nectar elsewhere. However, the bee could not ignore it and persisted."

"He went back and began to wait. He waited all throughout the next day and well into the night before he fell asleep, frustrated and exhausted. Morning came and went before the bee stirred from his slumber, but the flower still refused to bloom. So, the bee went home."

"Still, he thought about the flower every moment. No matter how hard he tried, he could not shake it from his mind. That night, he went out once more to stand vigil, but again he fell asleep. Only, this time, the bee did not sleep past sunrise."

"Instead, woken by the rising sun, the bee was stunned to find that the flower was blooming brightly in front of it. Its beauty was incredible and its nectar was the sweetest he'd ever encountered."

"The bee treasured the sight so deeply that he did not reveal the flower's secret when he returned to the hive. When asked where the sweet nectar came from, the bee only gave one word in response: patience."

"In that moment, his mind was at peace."

Her tale finished, Raven looked at Starfire. Her head was titled slightly in thought. She stayed still for a long moment before she spoke.

"You mean to say, that the flower could not open at the incorrect hour and that the bee only needed to discover that hour?"

"In a sense, yes."

Starfire nodded.

"Azar told me the same story when I became impatient with myself," Raven shared. "I know Robin can be complicated. He may need time."

"Thank you, Raven."

Raven cracked the slightest of smiles before rising from her spot to head towards the door.

"Raven?"

She stopped.

"Would you care to watch a movie with me?"

Raven hesitated only a moment before responding.

"Let me just get my book."


End file.
